


Distance Between Us

by absinthefae



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Butler Cafe, F/M, Long-Distance Relationship, School Festivals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-16 03:54:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5812852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/absinthefae/pseuds/absinthefae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He loved you. He'd never touched you, or heard your voice. But god did he love you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The bright red numbers of his alarm clock showed that it was nearly 2 in the morning, yet he couldn’t possibly feel more awake. The soft hush of your voice, nearly a whisper so you wouldn’t be caught talking on the phone so late, was right against his ear. He had been talking to you for a number of months, having met you online. The conversation was rolling and he was happy as he could be. Until…  
“And then Shinzen-senpai butted in and asked me to the hallway and confessed! Can you believe it?” You said with a chuckle.  
He sat up straight, feeling a cold sweat break out on his forehead. Sure he had never actually asked you out, but in his mind you may as well have been his girlfriend. “What did you do?!” He cursed himself for shouting.  
“What, why Tanaka-kun?”  
Shit. Well, might as well lay all the cards out on the table. He took a deep breath before beginning his tangent. He felt as though if he hesitated at all he would stop completely. “Because I like you a lot! And I know we live kind of far away and that I’m a year older but--”  
“Tanaka-k--”  
“But I want you to know how I feel before you decide to date that guy, I mean you’re totally gorgeous and--”  
“Tana--”  
“I don’t blame him at all for confessing to you--”  
“RYU!” You shouted into the phone, startling him silent. You had never used his first name before. “I...I really like you too.” You said, stumbling over your words.  
“What, really?”  
“Yes!” You said with a laugh. “I guess I’ll have to tell Shinzen-senpai no because I have a boyfriend.”  
Tanaka began to pace around his room, unable to stay in one spot. He was just too filled with joy. Tears began to flow down his face in jubilation and he prayed to the gods that must have smiled on him for him to get a girlfriend, especially one that was you.  
“Ryu? Are you still awake?”  
“Oh, yeah! I’m just..really happy.” He said, settling back down on his bed.  
“I am too.”

His hand was white knuckled as he sat on the train as he had for the past couple hours. It was long past dark out, but you promised to meet him at the station. He flipped open his phone to see the picture you had sent him, one of many. You were smiling shyly in a cute blouse and necklace. When he received it he immediately made it his wallpaper. He felt the jerk of the train beginning to slow down. Through the windows across the aisle he could see you. You leaned against a pillar as you looked around at the crowds of people, periodically checking your phone and watch. He felt time freeze around him as he saw you, in the flesh for the first time. He grabbed his bag from practice and walked off the moment the doors opened, beelining towards where you stood.  
You looked over as you saw him approach you and smiled wide, squealing as you rushed forward. He let his bag fall to the ground as he hugged you tight, lifting you off your feet. His hand gripped your clothes as he held you against him, feeling your warmth and your general presence. He held his breath as he felt your fingertips brush his cheeks. You leaned in, lightly stroking his jaw and chin, and kissed him softly. His entire body froze and in the back of his mind he heard an angelic choir as he closed his eyes and leaned into your touch.  
You pressed your forehead against his and looked up at him through your lashes, “I’ve wanted to do that for a really long time.” You murmured, and despite the volume of the train station he could hear every syllable.

He insisted on carrying you on his back as you directed him back to your home. He loved how it felt to carry you, your form pressed flush against him. “Take a left good sir!” You called out, pointing to the corner you approached.  
“Right away madam!” He said, turning left and continuing up the sidewalk. Your arms were looped around his neck, fingers intertwined by his chest. He could feel your breath on his neck and ear and it gave him goosebumps. So badly did he want to touch you, kiss you, look at you until you were all he saw when he closed his eyes. He wasn’t afraid to admit to himself that he loved you, he was just afraid to say it to you.  
He continued to carry you as he walked into your apartment complex, going up the stairs until he stood in front of your door. You handed your keys to him and he unlocked it, stepping inside. He knew from your words that your family was out of town, your brother had a tournament and was too young to go by himself. He set you down as he kicked off his shoes and you closed the door, twisting the deadbolt into place.  
“You know, Ryu, I’m really happy to see you.” You said, still facing the door.  
“Me too!” He said, grabbing onto your hand. “I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks!”

The ends of your hair were still wet as you rested your head on Tanaka’s thigh. Both of your gazes were directed to the crappy comedy that played on the television. Bags upon bags of junk food surrounded you both, all of the packages opened and eaten from. When you glanced up you saw half of a sour gummy worm hanging from his mouth, his gaze on the tv. You grinned and leaned up, mouth brushing his in a not quite kiss as you bit off the remainder.   
His heart jolted as he felt your lips and his cheeks exploded into a sea of red. He looked at you in surprise, seeing your triumphant grin as you chewed and swallowed your stolen candy. He cleared his throat, trying to maintain some sense of composure. If he didn’t he’d be tempted to push you into the cushions and kiss you until your mouths were swollen and sore. “Pocky game?”  
You pressed yourself against his side as you cuddled up to him, “I didn’t buy any pocky so I had to improvise.” You reached into the black bag and pulled out another brightly colored treat, the sour sugar coating your fingertips. “Round two?”  
Inside of Tanaka’s head there was an audible snap as his impulse control disappeared. He took the candy from your hand and put it on the table before kissing you hard, pulling you to his chest. His hands traced up and down your back and his heart leapt as he heard you emit the tiniest of moans from the intensity. You straddled his lap as you kissed him back just as hard. He groaned as you bit his lip and tugged slightly with a snicker. Your tongues met and you found yourself pinned against the couch, his hands on your hips as you tasted him and all the sweets he had eaten. He pulled himself away from the kiss with a shudder, awkwardly glancing down at the tent in his sweatpants before sitting up and moving away from you, worried he went too far. A sheepish apology left his mouth and you looked at him in confusion.  
“I don’t mind, Ryu…”  
He looked at you a bit surprised. Even though he thought about it a lot, the topic of sex never came up in conversation.  
“I figure, most couples have done it a few times by now. I assumed it would happen at least once.” You sat up and crossed your legs. “I want to.”  
He looked at your disheveled appearance. Your hair was a mess from his handling, your shirt hung off one shoulder, he could see the edge of your underwear from beneath your sleep shorts. Still, you could tell he was hesitating as though it may be a trick. You held out your arms for him, beckoning Tanaka to come forward. There was a second of stillness before he hovered over you once again, capturing your lips as his hands roved beneath your shirt to touch your flesh. He broke the kiss for a moment, glancing at you. Both of your mouths moved at the same time, your breath mingling as you spoke identical words.  
“I love you.”  
You both stared at each other, unable to believe that the words came out of the others mouth, before grinning wide. He hugged you tightly, kissing your neck and shoulder, as pride filled him. You giggled as you felt his mouth just barely brush against you, feeling the squeeze around your middle.  
He locked eyes with you before a smirk crossed his features, a fire in his eyes. He kissed you once, on the mouth, before trailing his kisses downward.  
“R-Ryu~!”

 

It was the buzzing of a text message that woke you from your grateful slumber. You sat up, rubbing your eyes, and looked at the figure that exuded heat next to you. He was still dead asleep, his hips covered by a blanket. You were swimming in the sleep t shirt he wore at the beginning of the night. You smiled and gently kissed his forehead before leaning over to grab your phone, the small light at the top showing a missed notification.  
You tapped the screen as you felt the cushions shift. Tanaka sat up and looped his arms around your waist, yawning as his chin rested on your shoulder. He mumbled something unintelligible as you read the message from a classmate, asking if they could borrow the chapter five notes. You typed out a quick yes before placing your phone back down, turning around to kiss him softly. “Good morning.” You said quietly.  
“Mornin’.” He said, holding you tight as he fell back down into a lying position. “Tired.”  
“Come oooon, someone’s coming over to pick something up and I can’t answer the door like this.” You pulled his arms off and sat up so he could get a good look at you, which was really the wrong thing to do. Your skin was glowing, your neck was marred by a number of marks and bruises, and his shirt just barely went past your hips.  
His eyes opened wide as he saw you stand up and wander to the next room, making grabby hands as you left. God damn you looked hot. With a sigh he threw off the blanket and looked around for his pants amongst the various wrappers.

You heard the knock on the door from your room, where you sat looking through your school bag for the particular bundle of papers your classmate needed. “Ryu, can you get that?” You called down the stairs. The both of you were dressed and cleaned up and ready to go out and do something fun, you just had to get this taken care of first.  
“Sure!” He called back, standing up and approaching the door. Standing outside was a girl and a couple of boys, all of whom jumped upon seeing the tall intimidating looking man before them.  
“Uh…(y/n)-san lives here, right?” The girl said, putting her phone in her pocket and shrinking slightly.  
“Yeah, she’ll be down in a mi--.”  
Before he could finish his sentence you pranced down the stairs, handing the notes to the girl. “Here you go Mari.” You grinned.  
She took them but her eyes were still glued to Tanaka. “Uh, thanks.” She said, taking a step to the side. “We’ll just, um, get going then.” She said. All of them were in shock. You were part of the student council and in the top 5 percentages on every test they took. Yet you were dating a delinquent?! They didn’t even want to know how many tires he’d probably slashed or people he’s held up.  
“Hey Shinzen, looks like she wasn’t lying when she said she had a boyfriend.” The other boy said, nudging him with his arm.  
“No kidding, he looks like he’d kill you with one hand.” Mari said as they neared the end of the floor. Behind them they heard the sound of a door opening. From your apartment stepped Tanaka and yourself, hands clasped, as you walked the other way to the stairs. He felt their gazes and looked over his shoulder, his intimidation look on his face.  
“Are you okay, Ryu?” You saw him looking back and squeezed his hand.  
“Huh? Oh yeah, perfectly fine when I’m with you.” He said, pulling you close and wrapping his arm around your waist.

Tears were falling freely as you stood at the train station, his bags all packed. It was time for him to go back home, much as he didn’t want to leave your side. “I’m gonna miss you.” You sniffled, wiping your eyes once more.  
He held you in a tight hug as though trying to memorize how you felt against his body. “I’ll miss you too.” He said, pretending that there weren’t two twin rivers pouring down his cheeks. Truth be told he would have taken you to a church that very weekend if you asked him to. You loved each other and he wanted to start spending the rest of his life with you. If a couple hours seemed like a large distance before, now it would feel like you were on the other side of the world.  
“I love you.” You mumbled against his chest.  
“I love you too.” Tanaka leaned down and kissed you firmly, calloused hand against your cheek.  
“I’ll call you every day.”  
“And I’ll text you in class.” He said cheekily, laughing as you lightly smacked his arm.  
“Maybe next time I can go out to see you. Meet your team mates.”   
The idea of you meeting the team made him impossibly happy. Plus, then he could show them that he, Tanaka Ryuunosuke, had a girlfriend. Not just any girlfriend, a super cute amazing one. “Sounds like a plan.”  
He held you close until his train pulled up. He walked away, making sure not to turn back until you were separated by the metal wall. If he did he was sure he’d run back to you and purposely miss it, just to spend a few more hours by your side.  
You lifted your hand in a wave and he pressed his own against the glass. He saw a fresh wave of tears fall down your cheeks as the doors closed and he started moving.  
You hadn’t even left the platform yet when your phone buzzed. You looked at the screen and gave a shaky laugh, feeling the exact same way.  
‘I miss you already’


	2. Closing the Distance

Be it a large school or small, news will travel fast. Within a day of any event, everyone would be talking about who got cut from their team or who’s moving away or who is cheating on who. By the time you returned to school, the news had spread that you were dating a delinquent boy and questions followed you everywhere. Who was he? Was he a thug? He doesn’t go to school here so he must be older, right? Although in the beginning you tried to correct them you knew it wasn’t working. You would tell one that Tanaka wasn’t a delinquent, just very energetic and impulsive. He was hardly a tyrant or a deviant, he got flustered by a kiss on the cheek! Soon enough you just resigned yourself. Another rumor would start up and the news of yourself and Tanaka would be a thing of the past. You just had to be patient.

Before you went to the table for dinner you looked at yourself in the mirror and took a deep breath. Your mom already knew about your boyfriend and, once you told her how sweetly he treated you, was willing to accept him. Now you just had to tell your dad about him. And how the following weekend you were going to take the train out to his school’s festival. You had heard from him that his club was doing a cafe and you wanted to surprise him.  
You settled down in your spot and took a breath to steady yourself. Your younger brother, Yoru, was already sitting down, chatting away about school and his soccer club to anyone who would listen.  
Your dad folded his paper as the food was brought to the table and you cleared your throat, “Uh, Dad?”  
“Yes, sweetheart?” He glanced at you over the rim of his glasses.  
“There’s something I need to tell you…”  
He raised an eyebrow as you brother leaned forward, listening in on it.  
“I...I have a boyfriend! And next weekend I want to go out and visit him. Mom already said it’s okay, but I need to get your approval too…” Your voice became quieter as you continued.  
“B-Boyfriend?!” Your dad looked at you with wide eyes, completely caught off guard. All your life, you hadn’t shown much of an interest in boys. He was hoping you could just be his precious daughter all his life and he wouldn’t have to worry about anything of the sort. In a couple of words those dreams were completely dashed.  
“Ew, I bet it’s some gross old man.” Your brother said with a snicker.  
“Shut up!” You growled, glaring at him from the corner of your eye.  
“What do you mean by..visit?”  
“Well, he goes to school a couple of hours away.” You took out your phone so you could show him a picture. You knew he was envisioning some sort of college guy who would whisk you away to live off on the coast or something similar.  
Everyone leaned in to look at the picture. It was from when he came over, you were smiling while he did his trademark glare, the one he knew made you laugh.  
“My sweet daughter is dating some punk?!” His worst case scenario changed drastically. Instead of you living on the seaside with some man who he didn’t know, you were changed into a delinquent yourself. Strolling the streets late at night, dragging along chains and smoking and glaring at anyone who looked at you.  
“Daaad, he’s not a punk. He’s really nice.” You smiled to yourself, cheeks tinting as you thought about the boy you loved so much. He would figure out a way to give you the moon if you asked him to. “And I want you to let me go see him.”  
“And you agreed to this?” He looked to his wife who shrugged.  
“She really likes him. We’ve spoken on the phone and he’s a perfectly nice young man.” With a chuckle you remembered that awkward conversation. The moment he learned your mother was listening he went from suave to a stuttering mess.  
“Please Daddy?” You looked at him over the table, fingers clasped beneath your chin and a pout on your lips. Yes, it was playing dirty. He hadn’t been able to deny that look since you were a toddler.  
He took one glanced at you and winced, feeling his wall of resolve crumble to a pile of rubble. “...Fine. But you will text us at least once an hour from the moment you leave!”

The way you called out his name made it echo through the room all the way back to his ears, spurring him on. He held you as tight to him as he could, your nails digging into his back as hips moved in tandem. Your breath hitched and your cheek, pressed against his, was burning red. He was so close…  
The buzz of his phone jerked him out of his sleep. He looked around his room as though by some miracle his sweet dream could be fused with reality. There was no trace of you, no garment of clothing or discarded shoes. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he picked up his phone, a devious smile forming when he saw your name across the screen. “Hello beautiful.” He purred after pressing the green button.  
“Hey Ryu~.” You practically purred in return.  
“I was just thinking about you.”  
“Oh? What about?” You were walking through your room, phone pressed between your ear and shoulder as you packed an overnight bag, going through clothes in your closet to pick out the perfect ones to bring.  
“I don’t know if I should tell you.” He teased with a snicker. “It’s pretty adult themed.”  
“Oh really now. Nothing we haven’t done before.”  
“Yeah, true. I just..I miss you a lot, you know?” He leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling.  
“I miss you too. Hey, isn’t your cafe thing tomorrow?” You asked despite knowing the answer. You just needed to know when he’d be working and you’d be set.  
“Mhm.”  
“When do you work? I want to text you when you’re done!”  
“Ten to two. Hey, is your school doing anything? I’d kill to see you in a maid outfit.”  
“Ryu!”  
“Something short and frilly. Yeah, that’s perfect. Ah, but then I’d have to keep other guys from looking at you.”  
“For your information, my class is doing a haunted house. And chances are I’ll be the ticket taker.”  
“Even if you were dressed like a ghost and covered in blood you’d still be adorable.”  
“Oh shut it. Anyways, I was calling to see how you were doing. And to make sure you didn’t stay up too late. You’d get in trouble if you missed your shift.”  
“Yeah, yeah. Always looking out for me, aren’t ya?”  
“Of course I am, I love you.”  
Everytime he heard the words or read them in your texts it sent his heart to the highest peak and he could have died of joy right there. “I love you too.”

Your boots clacked on the sidewalk as you walked through the yard of the school, looking at the various booths set up. Games and food and raffles. Everything looked so fun but you refused to do any of it yet, you wanted to experience it all with Tanaka. The thought made you even more excited. You could walk around hand in hand, sample everything. One look at the games of chance made you know that he would try his darndest to win you a prize. Your watch read 1:15 and you knew the way to the Volleyball Cafe, you had asked someone right away when walking in.  
Hurrying up the stairs you walked to the end of the hall and turned right, like the female student said. The outside of the classroom was decorated with banners and paper flowers and you were excited as you walked through the door. There were patrons sitting at the cloth covered desks and only a small line in front of you. You twiddled your fingers as you looked all around, seeing the various people who could only be Tanaka’s teammates. At the moment you could see a very tall blond boy with glasses who spoke passively, as though reciting from a script. Despite his lack of enthusiasm the pair of girls were enthralled by him as he walked away, quickly muttering praises about the boy.  
“Just one?” You jumped as you looked forward. The person in front of you was gone and now you were facing a rather beautiful dark haired girl with pink glasses.  
“Ah, y-yes! Also, if it’s okay...is it possible to request someone? I know him if it helps!”  
“Who is it?”  
“Ry...Tanaka Ryuunosuke.”  
Kiyoko looked at you with a small smile, it instantly clicking in her mind. You were the reason that he was leaving her alone more, respecting limits and personal space. Normally you couldn’t, but she figured she could pull a string or two. “Alright, I’ll let him know. Come with me please.”  
You nodded and followed the lovely girl, holding your bag with both hands in front of you. You were starting to get nervous. What if he got angry that you came without telling him? What if he was embarrassed of you, or ashamed? You were seated by a window and she handed you a menu. You nodded your head in thanks before she walked away. Taking a deep breath, you looked over the plastic covered paper in front of you.  
Before you could decide on anything you heard quick footsteps against the tile. You glanced over and saw Tanaka fall to his knees before you, taking your hands in his. “I..wha..y-you’re here!” He sputtered out, eyes wide and a huge smile on his face.  
You nodded and squeezed his hands, fingers interlocked. “I wanted to surprise you.”  
He sniffled once before he threw his arms around your waist, burying his face in your thigh. He sobbed in joy, “You’re the greatest girlfriend ever!”

“Ryu, I’m hungry!” You complained as he forced you to your feet and away from your table. He had disappeared for a moment and you finally decided what you wanted your boyfriend to serve you, when he returned with a fire in his eyes.  
“In a second, I’ll get you whatever you want when we’re done. But first.” He cleared his throat and gestured to his teammates, who wore similar suits to his own. Black with orange ties and white shirts. “Gentlemen, this is (y/n), the light of my life, the spark to my tinder, the--”  
“Ryu, I think they get it.” You said with a blush, hand on his arm. “I’m (l/n) (f/n), thank you for taking care of Ryu. I’ve heard a lot about you guys.” You grinned at the row of boys, able to name a few of them already from his descriptions over the phone.  
“Eh?! She’s real?!” A pair of boys exclaimed, rushing forward. One had bright orange hair that spiked up all over while the other had the stare of a dead fish.  
“Way to go Ryu!” Another boy, one with a tuft of blonde hair at the front of his head, said. He gave his friend a thumbs up, “You bagged a real cutie!”  
Someone you learned was named Daichi kindly shook your hand and introduced himself before turning to the rest of them after a few moments of conversation, telling them all to get back to work. Tanaka took your hand and lead you back to your table, “You should have told me you were coming, I would have set a table up specifically for you.”  
“If I did you would have been distracted all day long.” You shot back as you held up the menu for him to take. “Chocolate cake, please.”  
“Right away!” He nearly shouted before hurrying away to fulfill your desire. You chuckled at his eagerness before taking out your phone, texting your dad like you promised.  
By the time you pressed send there was a plate in front of you, a golden fork beside it. “Thank you, Ryu!” You said, grabbing his hand as he pulled it away and lightly kissing the back. He flushed before plucking the fork from your fingertips, sitting down across from you. He sliced off a piece and presented it out on the fork for you to eat. “You know you’re a waiter, not a host, right?”  
“Princesses shouldn’t have to feed themselves.” He said in an unexpected moment of slickness. You blushed but rolled your eyes, eating the pastry from the extended fork. He felt a moment of pride, he had been working on that line all day long.

The sun was starting to set as you walked toward the exit of the school grounds with Tanaka in tow. Both of your arms were laden with the various prizes he won for you, anything you looked at for more than five seconds was something he was determined to get. He had run around the school the moment his turn at the cafe was over, introducing you to anyone and everyone he knew. He loved you and he wanted the very world to know it. “Walk me to my hotel?” You asked over your shoulder.  
He nodded quickly before picking up his pace so he was next to you. He shifted the load in his arms before grabbing onto your hand and sighing contentedly. The way your palms fit together just felt so right.  
The light on the door turned green as you slid your keycard, letting you step inside. You set the various plushes and candy packages on the chair in the corner before turning to him with your arms outstretched. He wasted no time in walking into them, hugging you tightly like he wanted to before. “I’m so happy you’re here.” He muttered against your shoulder.  
“I am too.” You nuzzled against his neck, feeling his hot skin against your cheek. “I have an idea.”  
“Hm?”  
“How about...you sleep over? I want to spend as much time with you as I can before I have to leave.”  
He was quiet before pressing a searing kiss to your lips and hurrying to the door, “I’ll be back.”

You flicked through the television channels as you towel dried your hair. The curtains were drawn over the window but around the edges you could see that the light was almost gone, the sun all but set. There was a knock at the door and you stood, opening it to reveal Tanaka. He draped himself against the doorframe, a rose between his teeth. You burst out laughing as he stepped inside, a bag in his hand. “You’re a dork.” You said as he grabbed the end of the rose and offered it to you.  
“But you love me.”  
“Yeah yeah, don’t take advantage of it.” You took the flower and smelled the petals, inhaling the sweet fragrance. “But thanks.”

It was so late it was morning and you two still laid next to each other, talking about anything and everything as you had since you snuggled in next to him. The lights were on low, you could see his face and he could see you. His eyes were focused on the ceiling and there was a divot between his eyebrows, as though he was putting effort into keeping his gaze. “Hey (y/n)...”  
“What is it?” You turned to face him, lying on your side.  
He took a deep breath and grabbed your hand. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future. But I want you to be in it. I love you so much it kinda scares me.”  
You pushed yourself up with your hands and looked at him, meeting his gaze. You could feel the heat from his face as you leaned in to kiss him softly, chastely. “I love you too. I’m so happy I met you. I want to be with you forever.”  
He sat up so you were in his lap, leaning against his chest. He kissed you tenderly, but it was different than any other kiss you two shared. It was still passionate, but it held an edge of seriousness. Sincerity. The promise of forever.

Whenever you two were separated his thoughts about you went south. Combined with things he had read about online and heard in various conversations, the sex he had with you in his mind was dirty, almost obscene.  
But when he saw you, your bare skin and shining eyes, all those thoughts dissolved like sugar in hot tea. Unless you asked him, he would rather die than leave a welt on your skin, instead opting to leave small smudges of red that were made with his love. His touch was impossibly soft and all he craved was your kiss, your embrace. To feel you and kiss you and watch you as he built you up and just as sweetly tore you down

You woke up to the sound of the door closing. Sitting up, you realized that the person that was supposed to be lying next to you was busy taking his shoes off, a plastic bag on the floor next to him. “Ryu?” You asked as you rubbed your eyes with one hand, the other holding the sheets to cover yourself.  
He spun around quickly, it was clear he had been up for a while. He climbed onto the bed and crawled forward until he sat directly in front of you, holding your hands. “Do you want to do something crazy?”

“This is nuts!” You giggled for the seventh time since leaving the hotel. His idea was strange and sudden but you couldn’t find it in yourself to say no. You didn’t have the will to deny him, you wanted this as much as he did.  
“I know.” He held you tight against him as you rode the bus, watching the scenery from over your head. “I know, but I want to.”  
“Me too.” You looked up at him and grinned. “I won’t regret it.”

Both of you signed your names and looked at each other, grabbing each other tight as you pushed to turn the form in. The person at the counter looked over the form, making sure everything is filled out correctly, before nodding and filing it away. It wasn’t until you were standing outside on the sidewalk, bathed in the sunlight of the late morning, that he took the small box from his pocket and slid the ring on your finger. It was small and plain and inexpensive and he promised that he would buy you something much nicer when he had the money. But you thought it was perfect. Tanaka lifted you into his arms and kissed you firmly, not caring if anyone watched. He smiled at you when he pulled away, “My cute little wife.”


End file.
